Should this magazine cover cause Muslim religious leaders to call for the execution of actress Veena Malik? While this shot stretches the usually PG-rated theme that reigns here at Black Shards to the breaking point, the answer has got to be a resounding “No!” First, it’s Malik’s body – she can do what she wants…
Category: Pakistan
Pakistan and Hiding bin Laden
Does anyone seriously believe that the Pakistani government did not know Osama bin Laden was living – and living large – in their country? Please. Pakistan’s intelligence service is corrupt, but they are far from incompetent. At best they turned a blind eye to the U.S.’s most-wanted terrorist. But it’s far more likely parts of…
Pakistan’s Army Killing Taliban in Mingora
Not long ago we were worrying about Pakistan’s apparent lack of will to grapple with its Taliban problem and wondering if the government there – and the nuclear weapons it controls – would stay in power. Now Pakistan’s army is going house-to-house in Mingora to root terrorists out of the Swat valley’s main city and having success.
Democrats Evolve Stance on Terrorist Interrogations
Glenn Greenwald reports the inevitable: Democrats’ attitude about harsh interrogation techniques has changed now that their man has been elected and is about to assume responsibility for the continued security of the free world. It’s an unenviable job in many respects, in particular with regard the potential for being blamed for the 9/11, 7/7, or…
Hitting Pakistani Targets Without Permission
Failing to act decisively – or at all – when in possession of intelligence about Osama bin Laden is perhaps Bill Clinton’s biggest failure as president and his longest-lasting legacy. Now, writing about the U.S. missiles that killed Abu Laith al-Libi, an al Qaeda commander, MSNBC says: Having requested the Pakistani government’s official permission for…
Lessons from 1968
Bob Herbert draws some parallels between 1968 and 2008 today but it seems to me that his message is incomplete. The Vietnam/Iraq comparison is obvious, of course, and somewhat appropriate. But there’s not going to be the equivalent of Tet in Iraq or even Afghanistan, unless we completely take our eye off the ball again,…
Pakistan and Merit
Tariq Ali says that Pakistan deserves more from its opposition – and its ruling government – in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. A triumvirate consisting of her husband, Asif Zardari (one of the most venal and discredited politicians in the country and still facing corruption charges in three European courts) and two ciphers will…
Bhutto Dynasty to Continue
The NY Times writes that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been selected to be the future leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, replacing his slain mother. The moves by Ms. Bhutto’s opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, were clearly aimed at marshaling an outpouring of grief and anger to electoral advantage in the Jan. 8 parliamentary…
Murder on the Road to Democracy
I have to admit that I’m stuck on Benazir Bhutto. Quoting Mark Steyn again, “She was beautiful and charming and sophisticated and smart and modern, and everything we in the west would like a Muslim leader to be”. Writing about her murder, Andrew McCarthy had this to say about the nation she once led and, I…
Freedom Dead in Pakistan?
When Benazir Bhutto first decided to return to Pakistan to attempt to reclaim power I commented on a post by Kevin Sullivan to the effect that her return was more likely to lead to blood in the streets than democracy. Sadly, that rather obvious guess has proven true: Benazir Bhutto is dead, killed by an suicide…